The Machinist has access to 127 licenses, which require 7,341 LP to unlock, as well as up to 9 additional licenses through summon licenses costing 780 LP, and 3 additional licenses costing 150 LP through Quickening licenses.

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Machinist is a ranged class, using guns as their primary weapon, and can equip light armor. Machinists are versatile, able to attack from a distance and use some Time Magick. They can also use some Green Magicks, as well as equip measures and hand-bombs. As guns don't use the wielder's stats for damage calculations, the player can give the job to weaker party members, and pair it with Brave Suit for auto-Bravery.

Guns never deal combo hits, but they can do critical damage, and thus Machinists are just as good at full HP as they are in low health (melee jobs deal multiple combo hits when in critical health, meaning one needs to keep them near death to maximize DPS potential). Combined with their range, Machinists are thus great against regular enemies, also letting them hit flying targets that many melee classes can't hit. Ability to equip them with a variety of ammo also makes them versatile, letting the player change status and elemental properties on-the-fly without sacrificing much firepower.

Machinists are ineffective against enemies that resist guns and measures, and are unable to learn recovery magicks, as well as conditional stat boosting skills, such as Focus and Last Stand. Machinist will usually always deal less damage than other offensive jobs with weapons normally available at comparable points in the game (unless berserked, which is easily done with Berserk Bracers), but they shine in New Game Minus (Weak Mode) for their quality of ignoring the wielder's stats and ranged capabilities. On the other hand, if the player can grab an early Fomalhaut or Mithuna, the Machinist can be the strongest party member for a chunk of the game.

In The Zodiac Age the player can use two License Boards for each party member. A good combination with Machinist is to couple it with a White Mage to gain a healer with lots of HP, three Swiftness licenses, eventual access to Hastega, and guns, which do damage regardless of the character's stats. Machinist-White Mage combination also allows the character to equip Dark Shot (Dark-elemental ammo) with Black Robes (boosts Dark-elemental damage by 50%). The player could also pair Machinist with the Red Battlemage. With Famfrit, this combination gains plenty of Time Magicks as well, only missing out on Haste, Berserk, Stop, and Bleed. Hastega surpasses Haste, and Berserk can also be achieved via an accessory or Bacchus's Wine. However, Famfrit is obtained very late in the game, at the end of the last mandatory dungeon.

If the player wants to get the most out of guns, coupling Machinist with jobs that give Adrenaline and Focus licenses are good, such as Foebreaker. The Machinist can do high damage, though guns never deal combo hits. However, the only shot that can be boosted with gear is Dark Shot with Black Robes, which requires the Mystic Armor 10 license to use, and Adrenaline and Focus can also be achieved with accessories. Pairing Machinist with Uhlan allows the character to hit every element between spears and ammo, and be able to play support when required with all the lores available.